In the corporate world, success is often measured in revenues, profits, and market share. Increasingly, however, another metric is earning a seat at the boardroom table: sustainability.
That shift is reflected in the latest recognition bestowed on Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV) Chief Reputation and Sustainability Officer Ginggay Hontiveros-Malvar, who has been named one of The CEO Magazine’s Sustainability Leaders of 2026.
Hontiveros-Malvar joins an exclusive list of just 49 executives worldwide—and only two Filipinos—recognized for turning sustainability from a well-meaning corporate buzzword into a business strategy with measurable impact.
The distinction comes at a time when investors, regulators, and consumers are asking tougher questions about how companies grow, what resources they consume, and what legacy they leave behind. In today’s business environment, ESG is no longer a side project tucked away in annual reports; it is increasingly becoming part of the company’s license to grow.
At the Aboitiz Group, Hontiveros-Malvar has been helping steer that transition, embedding sustainability principles into decision-making across a diversified portfolio spanning energy, banking, infrastructure, food, agriculture, and real estate.
“Sustainability is ultimately about stewardship. Businesses grow best when we take responsibility for the impact we create—on people, communities, and the environment,” she said.
The recognition also highlights a broader trend in Philippine business. Sustainability leadership is evolving from managing risks to identifying opportunities—from climate resilience and responsible resource use to human capital development and stakeholder trust.
That evolution is increasingly visible in the Aboitiz Group’s performance.
In 2025, AEV ranked among the top three Philippine conglomerates in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, reinforcing its standing among the country’s ESG frontrunners.
For Hontiveros-Malvar, the award is a personal milestone. For Aboitiz, it is validation of a strategy years in the making.
After all, in modern business, creating value is no longer just about growing the bottom line. It is also about ensuring there is a future worth growing into.
